Means for heating liquid fuel



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MEANS FOR HEATING LIQUID FUEL.'

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Patena June 21, 1921,

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UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

y MEANS FOR HEATING LIQUID FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Application led February 13, 1920. Serial No. 358,546.

T o all fio/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. LE PAGE, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Heating Liquid Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for heating the liquid fuel for an internal combustion engine as the same is delivered to the air duct of the carburetor.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through the bowl of the carbureter in the plane of the air duct and the axis of the needle valve.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the needle valve and a portion of its stem, and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modification ofthe same.

In these drawings 2 represents the bowl of the carbureter, 3 being the air duct of the same to the engine manifold at 4, 5 is the delivery outlet for the fuel to the air duct from the bowl of the carbureter, which dclivery is controlled vby a needle valve 6, the stem 7 of which is threaded gland-packed through an attachment in the wall of the carbureter.

Instead of this valve having a solid stem, as is usual, the stem 7 is axially hollow to adjacent the valve 6, and within the stem an electrical heating element such as a coil 8 of nichrome wire is inserted, as shown in Fig. 2.

The terminal wires of this coil are carried out through the open end of the stem where they may be supported in a plug of insulating material, and are connected in aA circuit in which is a suitable current. The inner side of the tubular stem 7 has a lining 9 of non-conducting material, such as mica,`

and where the coil has a returnV wire, as shown in Figs. l and 2, a washer 10 ofsimilar non-conducting material insulates the wire of the coil from the valve 6. The re-` be in metallic contact with the valve 6, at the end of the tubular bore.

The liquid fuel having to pass alongside the electrically heated stem 7 and its valve 6, on its way to the delivery outlet 5, Will be effectively heated by contact therewith, and the heat so applied will induce a flow of the liquid to the delivery outlet.

Although, as shown in the drawing, the coil 8 of the heating element occupies only ay short length of the stem 7 immediately ad- ]acent the valve, the length of the coil'can be readily increased downward so as to extend its heating effect more generally to the liquid fuel in the bowl, if such is found necessary.

The heating element and its connections being all within the stem of the valve can be v ery readily removed for examination, repair or replacement.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

lA means for heating liquid fuel, said means comprising the combination with the howl of a carbureter and the valve controlling passage of the liquid fuel therefrom to the intake manifold of the engine, an axially hollow stem on the valve and a naked coil of electrical high resistance wire within the stem through which coil a suitable current may be passed and an insulating jacket within the stem constituting a chamber in which said coil is located and from the walls of which said coil is spaced.

2. A means for heating liquid fuel, said means comprising the combination with the bowl of a carbiireter and the valve controlling passage of the liquid fuel from the bowl to thel air duct of the carbiireter, said valve having a hollow stem, the inner side of` which is insulated and a removable naked electrical heating element within the axial hollow of the stem through which elcment a suitable current may be passed.

3. A means for heating liquid fueLsaid means comprising a valve ,having a hollow stem the inner walls of which are lined with electrical insulating material, a naked coil ofV electrical. high resistance wire within the hollow ofthe stein, the ends of which coil pass through the outer end of the stem and are connected to a source of electrical energy.

.In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALFRED W, LE PAGE. 

